Sony has reduced its PSVR 2 production by 20%, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, a tech insider primarily known for his analysis and projections for future Apple products. This counters a prior statement from Sony in January where it denied reports that it had cut production numbers of the headset due to middling pre-order figures.
Kuo believes VR headsets will not be a “star product” for the foreseeable future
In addition to his critical update that Sony has cut PSVR 2 production, Kuo does not share a positive outlook on AR and VR headsets for the near future in his latest Medium article. The Meta Quest Pro only shipped around 300,000 units during its product lifecycle, while Pico, a biggest AR/VR headset company in China, had shipments in 2022 that were more than 40% lower than expected.
These figures, Kuo concludes, mean that AR/VR headsets like PSVR 2 are not “the next star product in consumer electronics in the foreseeable future.” He believes Apple is one of the last hopes that this position might change, but he still thinks that the market may overestimate these headsets over the next few years, in terms of their overall contribution to companies that supply components for them.
In late March, the International Data Corporation also believed that PSVR 2 sales will flop and recommended that Sony cut the price of the headset sooner than later.
Meanwhile, Sony has created a new patent that will improve the posture of players, likely for those using gaming headsets.